SONA 2025: Ramaphosa's bold claims!

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has made bold promises to South Africans, vowing to implement reforms to grow the economy.

However, questions arise about whether these promises will turn into action.

Delivering his State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday, 6 February, Ramaphosa announced that in the next year, government will introduce a second wave of reforms aimed at unlocking South Africa's economic potential.

He said current economic reforms, implemented through Operation Vulindlela, have fostered optimism and confidence.

He highlighted progress in rebuilding and restructuring several key network industries.

"We are seeing positive results in the improvement of the functioning of our network industries as well as investment opportunities that are opening up and are taken by investors, leading to job creation.

"Working together with business, labour and other social partners, we must now finish this work. Over the coming year, we will initiate a second wave of reforms to unleash more rapid and inclusive growth," he said.

Ramaphosa indicated that the first focus of these reforms would be on state-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly Eskom and Transnet, which he said are vital to ensuring the country's economy functions optimally.

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To drive this effort, Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a dedicated SOE Reform Unit to reposition these entities for better performance.

He said this will include improving infrastructure delivery while introducing competition in areas like electricity generation, freight rail, and port operations.

"We continue with the fundamental reform of our state-owned enterprises to ensure they can effectively fulfil their social and economic mandates. This includes work to put in place a new model to strengthen governance and oversight of public entities," he said.

On safety, Ramaphosa reaffirmed his commitment to building a nation where everyone feels safe. He noted the efforts of law enforcement agencies in combating organised crime and reducing violence.

"The SAPS has partnered with metropolitan municipalities and is working with communities to fight crime in the priority provinces where crime is particularly high."

Ramaphosa also spoke on the success of Operation Shanela, an initiative that has led to arrests, recovery of firearms, and seizure of stolen vehicles.

"We are intensifying Operation Shanela, which has been successful in arresting suspects, recovering firearms and seizing stolen vehicles," he said.

Dealing with gun violence, Ramaphosa said: "I have asked the minister and the national commissioner of police to prioritise reducing gun-related crime and violence. This includes preventing diversion of firearms into the illicit market and recovering illegal firearms in circulation."